


Oracles In A Cave

by Sailboatstudios



Category: Star Wars, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, the clone wars
Genre: Adventure, Angst, Friendship, Story complete, Supernatural - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-23
Updated: 2020-06-23
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:34:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,578
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24881641
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sailboatstudios/pseuds/Sailboatstudios
Summary: Anakin, Ahsoka and two other Jedi are stranded on Mortis and must resist the temptation of the dark side to escape





	1. Chapter 1

Traversing through the galaxy, the stars becoming a blur as they passed by, Kyle was the only one still struck by their beauty. Ahsoka was busy manning the nav computer. The Jedi received a distress signal from the wild space territory, slowly traveling to their location due to Anakin's ship having a damaged hyperdrive. Kyle was busy daydreaming, while the adults performed their tasks. He offered his assistance to everyone on board, getting rejected at every turn. So he settled for watching the stars rush by him like he's a passenger on a road trip.

"It's been three days and we haven't found the source of the signal. Anyone want to entertain the idea we've been taken for suckers?" Kyle contended.

"The signal came from the Wild Space territory. It didn't tell us to go there, the source of the signal came from the territory. It isn't a prank." An almond skinned Jedi named Depa Billapa could not believe she had to use such a juvenile word like "prank."

"The distress code is something the Jedi haven't seen in 2,000 years. Believe it or not, it's difficult to find that."

"What about a trap?"

"We're supposed to meet with a Jedi cruiser for reinforcement."

Depa could see Kyle was growing bored and offered him a seat in the co-pilots chair. "You fly before?"

"Sometimes."

"Define 'sometimes.'"

"I flew an X-Wing in the beginning phases of the assault on Umbara. I was shot down."

"So you know how to fly, why don't you take over for a while?" She told him.

"I don't know." Depa could tell Kyle was uneasy about piloting The Twilight. "This is Skywalker's ship and I never flew a G9 Rigger-class freighter before-"

"How did you know what model this is?" Depa was pleasantly surprised Kyle knew his way around a ship.

"Me and my dad used to repair them before the war forced us to give up all of our metals." Kyke recalls fondly.

"What's this called?" Depa asks, referring to the steering wheel.

"The yoke."

"And what's that wing called?"

"Rudder."

"What else do you know?"

"The toggle on the left switches between cannons, missiles and pulse."

"This ship doesn't have pulse cannons, only lasers." She corrects.

"Ah, gee wiz!" Kyle feigns disappointment, smiling for the first time. "I know how to fly, Master."

"I'm sure Anakin won't mind, besides I outrank him. I'm a Jedi Master." She reminds him.

"Isn't he too?"

"Maybe one day, but not today."

Within the hour The Twilight arrived at the coordinates of the distress signal, finding nothing but empty space and no Jedi cruiser.

Anakin was in the small communications chamber, his call to Captain Rex to let them know of their arrival. The reception couldn't have been worse, what Rex was saying was unintelligible. Growing frustrated, Anakin hastily tried rewiring the port, to no avail. Shortly after, Rex vanished and the lights switched off. The forward momentum of the ship halted. "Rex?" Anakin tried flipping the switch a couple times before reality sunk in the Twilight was reduced to a vegetable state.

"All systems are down, including life support." Ahsoka informs them. Anakin returns to the cockpit, struck by what's in front of him.

"Why are you piloting my ship?" He asks Kyle still manning the steering wheel despite the ship being out of his control.

"Calm down, Skywalker the boy needs to learn." Depa contend.

"He can 'learn' while flying his ship." He retorts. "Did he follow the coordinates?"

"No, I let him go as he pleased." She rolls her eyes.

"Now is not the time for snark, we need to-"

"Master.." Ahsoka's eyes doubled in size at the sight of a enormous pyramid shaped planet coming into their sights.

"What?" Skywalker's jaw fell to the floor, as did Depa's. "Turn the ship around." He orders, but Kyle can't wrestle control of the ship. Skywalker forgot the power is out, and to make matters worse they are caught in a tractor beam guiding them into the opening center, a white light blinds them, using their arms to shield their corneas, to seek refuge Kyle fell out of his chair and hid under the control panel. The episode lasted for a brief while, but it felt like an eternity until their vision went black.


	2. Chapter 2

His head was in severe pain, throbbing madly. Trying to get his legs under him was a task in of itself, falling to the side and having to use the wall for support. Kyle was a mess, and the rest of the crew didn't fair much better. They were knocked out cold, leaving him to survey the land. The power to the ship returned, all systems were a go again. The reading systems informed him the planet's air is breathable, and could only be described as a kind of "organic mass." Kyle failed science both in school and in the Jedi Temple, so his knowledge of such a term didn't exist.

"I better wake Ahsoka up... or Anakin... or Depa... any of the three probably know what 'organic mass' means." He figured. "Master..." He slowly approaches her. Her eyes still sore, causing great distress.

"I can't see." She confesses, remaining calm the whole time. It is Kyle who is on the verge of panic. "The light must've done this."

"Are you going to get your vision back?"

"I do not know. We'll wait and see."

"How can you be so calm? You're a Jedi, you need to see in order to fight!" Kyle babbled, on the verge of breaking down. Meanwhile, Depa held all the confidence in the universe on her shoulders.

"You have a lot to learn, young one. Where are we?"

"Our systems doesn't know. The computer said we're on a giant organic mass. What does that mean?"

"It means we're in a natural environment. Wherever we are, it's best we traverse the land carefully." She advises. "Go check on Ahsoka, I'll wake up Skywalker."

"How about I take care of that?" He offers.

"The Force is all the vision I need." She replies, walking towards Anakin without bumping into the chair in her way. At a loss for words, he didn't say anything and did as he was told. "Perhaps it's best if we survey the land. Do not go very far."

"Ugh, what happened?" Ahsoka holds her head, feeling the same throbbing pain as Kyle did.

"I don't know. We passed out is my guest. My master is checking on yours."

"Is Anakin okay?" Kyle looks behind his shoulder to see Skywalker in decent shape.

"A blinding light is far from enough to keep him down." He smiles, offering her a hand to get back up. "My master says we should explore the area."

"Sounds a bit odd." She contested. "Wouldn't the reading systems have information on this planet?"

Kyle shakes his head. "It's drawing a blank." The corner of his eyes witnessing a small flower withering in the sunlight, it's pedals falling one by one, before retreating into the soil and to ultimately return to its blossoming state. "Did you see that?" He asks Ahsoka.

"Yes." She was equally speechless. "Call me insane, but I don't think that's normal."

"It's most certainly not."

The whole planet was capable of regeneration of its soil, unfolding like a storybook. The bright grass instantly replacing the sorrowful dead dirt, the withering trees returning to their outstanding status. It both mesmerized and scared Kyle what this place was capable of.

"Ahsoka, I have the feeling this is going to be one of those adventures where we have no idea what's happening." Kyle confesses. "This is all beyond the understanding of the Jedi. Not even my master could explain it."

"We'll be fine, remain vigilant and take notes."

"I don't have a data pad."

"Then take mental notes!"

An angelic, yet firm voice caused the teens to turn around. Her radiant glow outshining the sun and the clear blue sky she is under. "Are you the one?" She asks, baffling the two Padawans.

"The one?" Kyle isn't sure what she means.

"The one Father speaks of. The one who'll bring balance to the Force?"

"You mean Anakin?" Kyle ventured. "What do you want with him?"

"Is he the Chosen One?" Stricken by shock at an outsider knowing the ancient Jedi prophecy, Ahsoka ignited her weapon.

"How do you know?"

"Uh, Ahsoka..." Kyle didn't follow suit, believing Ahsoka was making a miscalculation.

"There is no need for such crude weaponry here." With a mere flick of her wrist the blade retracted. "I am not here to harm you, I want to assist you in your travels. Come with me and I will take you to him."

"Wait..." Kyle calls out to her, but the woman is already on her way. "We don't even have Anakin..."

"I'm not following her." Ahsoka tells him.

"We kind of need to." He retorts.

"No we don't."

"Yeah, we do. "This is where the distress signal came from, and besides, we're not learning anything looking at plants regenerate. Might as well." She still is unsure.

"This is a trap." She sighs.

"Don't be so pessimistic. Tell Anakin so he can meet up with us."

Ahsoka tried to contact her master through her com-link, except the reception was poor and all she heard was static.

"No luck?"

"Yes. But you're right, let's follow her." Kyle smirks at Ahsoka, able to tell there is some internal distress she has about taking his advice. "What?"

"Go ahead, 'Soka. Say it."

Ahsoka rolled her eyes, Kyle could be such a dope sometimes. "I have a bad feeling about this."

(Scene break)

Skywalker and Depa walked shoulder to shoulder, his attention was more keyed on keeping the Jedi Master out of harms way than the oddities of the planet. "Skywalker, perhaps it is best you keep your eyes forward and take in the scenery."

"I'm sorry." Even though he's a Jedi Knight, well into adulthood, his relationships towards higher ranking officials often made him feel like he was still that child who won a pod race on Tatooine.

"You do not trust me in my current state, do you?" Anakin remains silent. "You and my Padawan share the same fear."

In an effort to shift the conversation, Anakin starts to notice the rapidly changing scenery. "The seasons change by the passing day." He explains. "And I haven't seen an animal despite clearly being in the jungle."

"Do you feel it too?" Depa asks, Anakin instantly knowing what she's referring to nods.

"The Force is stronger here, I can feel it pulsating through me."

"That is the unprecedented power you always wield, be careful."

"Master- we need-" Anakin's com-link faded in and out, the audio scathing the ears. "Ahsoka?" He called to her to no avail. "What's going on here?"

"I don't know. I've found myself saying that a lot lately."

"It's tough lacking knowledge, maybe if gig walk around some more you'll find it." Anakin cranes his neck up to see a lanky, pear head shaped individual with red eyes resting easily on a thick tree branch.

"And who are you?" Anakin asks.

"Who am I? I'm many things. But what I am isn't important, why I am here is. My Father wishes your company. Come." He turns around to leave, only the Jedi remain in place. "I said come!" He pounces, transforming himself into a creature resembling a goblin and snatching them up.

"Did you retrieve them?" An elder asks his son. "Yes, father." The Son replies obediently, his tone no longer carrying the menacing veneer. "Why are they subdued?"

"They resisted your will, father. Forgive me for taking it personal." The Son bit his tongue, staying kneeled down his eyes focused on the marble floors. "I can't stand it when you're disrespected."

"You don't earn respect by having thin skin, my son. You're far too aggressive."

"But, you said it was a must to bring the Jedi here."

"Yes. Here they are, you're missing two of them."

The Son's eyes move up to face his father, his long white beard illuminates the darkened throne room, it's only source of light being a blue flame lit in the background. "Your daughter can find the others. It is likely we don't even need them."

"We cannot do the test without them. The Chosen One needs to be tested to the fullest extent, absolutely no loose ends can be afforded."

"You're so sure of your test, what difference does it make if all four of them are here?"

"They are a liability to mucking up the process." Father answers. He promptly frees the two Jedi. "Forgive my son for his aggression, I still have much to teach him."

"Why did you bring us here?" Anakin asked.

"All questions will be answered in due time. You're under distress, I suggest the both of you rest and we'll reconvene in the morning." Anakin looks behind him to see it is nightfall. "I do not recommend staying outside. The night can be chaotic in this world." Facing little options, the Jedi accept the offer of lodging.

Depa didn't speak, she felt the time for questions would present itself in the near future. For now, it's best they rest. Skywalker couldn't sleep, tossing on his little area with only a thin blanket to keep him warm. Billapa managed, which irked Skywalker to a degree. Her poise in this predicament baffled the young Jedi Knight. It simply didn't make sense to exude such calm. Even Obi-Wan reacted accordingly when thrown out of his comfort zone.

"It helps if you count sheep." Depa smirks to herself.

"Very funny."

"I try to be."

The thunder outside crackles, assaulting their eardrums and the rainfall was relentless. On Tatooine, the rare rainy nights provided Anakin with enough aid to sleep like a newborn. The pitter patter of rainfall against the synstone roof, it's cold substance wiggling through the cracks to leak out. Anakin decided to count some sheep to take his mind off the outside noise, his eyelids became heavier, his head lighter. Finally, he feel into a slumber, erasing the tension for his body for the time being.

(Scene break)

"Did you find her?" Ahsoka asks Kyle. It's been hours since they lost Daughter and they've wandered this planet, apparently it's name is Mortis, ever since.

"No." He groans. "I don't want to hear it." He could tell by the look on her face she was about to rip into him for yet another bad idea of his leading them astray.

"We should have stayed with the ship." She tells him.

"You know what, fine. Let's head back there then." The crackles of lightning connecting to the soil gave them pause. A nearby tree caught on fire and fell over instantly. "Maybe when the rain stops is the best time to go." Kyle figured.

"There's a cave over there." Ahsoka points. Walking inside their vision is overtaken by bright crystals lodged into the rocks and walls. He was tempted to touch, but remembered due to the oddities of this planet it'll likely trigger some horrific, unintended action.

"I'm growing to hate this place." Kyle sighs.

"Jedi can't hate." Ahsoka reminds him.

"Okay, let me rephrase that. I hate you." He jabs at her playfully. "Did you try reaching Anakin?"

"Still no answer. What about Depa?"

"Same. It's almost like this place is screwing with our tech."

"Probably because it is."

"Did you catch what Daughter said earlier?" He inquired. "About where she was planning on taking us?"

"She spoke of somebody named 'Father', and her people are the beginning, middle and end."

"That doesn't sound right." Kyle wasn't convinced. "I get this feeling she's a charlatan."

"No. I believe she is who she says she is." Ahsoka retorts.

"Okay, then what is she?"

After a brief pause Ahsoka confesses she does not know. Another crackle of the lightning captures their attention. "It's bad out there." Kyle notices. "I hope this clears up." He goes into his backpack to pull out two ration bar and hands one to Ahsoka. "I have coconut and raisin." He offers.

"Raisin." She takes one of the bars. "Say, hand me those binoculars." A shining light in the distance caught her eye. Soon, she found it sat atop of an impressive monastery many clicks away from their current position. "I see something. Maybe that's where our friend went." She hands Kyle the binoculars so he too can see.

"You want to do that or do you want to head back to the ship and call for help?" Kyle asks.

"We could do both, but separating on a planet like this isn't wise." Kyle agreed. "We were told to check this place out. We're already so far from the ship, might as well go further."

"Ah, pragmatic Ahsoka. A rare sight." He jokes.

"Shut up."


	3. Chapter 3

"Are you happy child." Ahsoka heard a tender voice call to her, it was oddly soothing to her juxtaposed with the crackling of the thunder still persisting outside.

"Who are you?" She looks around the cave, finding no one.

"This planet is very dangerous, it is strong in the dark side. Your master is susceptible to falling."

"You're wrong!" Ahsoka roars. "He's kind, generous and would never turn his back on the light."

All she can hear is faint laughter. "I was once you, young one. But believe me when I tell you Anakin Skywalker is a ticking time bomb. His influence surrounds you. You're putting your friends in danger by trusting him. The dark side will consume you all. You will never see the future if you remain on this planet and stay his student!" The last words sending shockwaves through her, waking her up in a cold sweat. She looks to her right to see Kyle sleeping soundly, compared to her at least.

From the chaotic night, came a blissful morning. Birds chirping was a new sound Kyle yet to have come across, almost felt like he was home. At any time he expected to hear the footsteps of his little sister rushing to wake him up for school. His eyelids peeled open, as did Ahsoka's they realize they've gotten a little to close for comfort and their hands intertwined during their slumber. Gasping, they quickly withdraw and scurry away, disgusted at the idea they even briefly cuddled. Kyle figured the cold air must've drawn their bodies in to secure warmth as second nature.

"Let's never talk about this." Ahsoka demands.

"Fine by me." Kyle was busy wiping his sleeves like Ahsoka carried a disease.

"Come on, we need to get to the monastery." The two left the cave, basking in the warmth the generous sun provided. Somehow, today was brighter than the last. It wasn't too hot, or brisk. The temperature was just right. Nearly impossible to sweat in, unless you're performing a laborious task.

"This is where we climb." Ahsoka explains.

"What?"

"It's the only way up." She points to the top of the monastery.

"This has to be like, 100 stories of climbing." He bemoaned. "How are we supposed to climb that?"

"Simple." She smirks. "With our hands and feet."

(Scene break)

"Master... master, why did you leave me?" Depa could swear she heard that voice before. "Master, please!" The last word hurt her heart like a dagger and she jolted out of her slumber. Her vision was still gone, it'll be sometime before it returns. She's come to peace with this fact.

"Couldn't sleep?" She senses Skywalker was awake for some time, he stares at the ceiling at a loss.

"How did you know?"

"A woman's intuition." She quips. "You're haunted by your past. No matter how far you are from it, it'll remain with you." Anakin didn't know if she was talking about herself or him. "You've made some mistakes?"

"A few." He confides.

"I was told at a young age, the mistakes you make in your formative years shape you into the person you are to become. I like to believe my missteps made me better."

"Me too."

"But do you believe you are a better man?"

"I don't know."

"You do. You can't bring yourself to answer."

"I don't have an answer." Anakin lies. "Even if I did, it's irrelevant. How I see myself is likely far from how others regard me."

"You care about how others perceive you?"

"No."

"Then what does it matter?"

Anakin knew he lied about his insecurity about what others thought. It's his knee jerk reaction to deflect from such an accusation. "Beware lending too much credence to your past. It can help you learn for the future, it can also lead you down the dark path. Have you ever heard the term 'the road to hell is paved with good intentions'?" Skywalker nods, for he has come across those words. "Wise words to keep in your back pocket."

"I had a vision, of my mother. Except it wasn't her." He didn't want to confess something so personal to her. Anakin wasn't much on opening himself up, even to his closest allies. "It was someone else using her appearance in an attempt to deceive me."

"It is daylight, perhaps it is now appropriate to pay our friend a visit."

"If you don't mind, I'd like to meet with him myself." Anakin asks.

"It's very dangerous to leave you alone with someone like him. I think I should come along." Depa squashes the idea, leaving Anakin irked. It's his business, why should she be involved? The questions he wants to ask him.

The Father sits in his throne pillow, having not moved the entire night. His meditation serving as his respite. Anakin steps towards the defenseless elder, preparing to withdraw his lightsaber. "Skywalker" Depa hisses. "It is not the Jedi way to attack someone who has done no wrong to them.

"For all you know, he's the one putting those images in my head!" He retorts.

"We don't know that. He isn't alone, maybe it's someone else."

"She is right." His commanding voice demanded their attention. "I suspect it is my son causing you distress. Trust me, though I have my intentions none of them involve preying on your personal feelings."

"How do you expect me to believe you, old man?" Anakin contends.

"You can choose to believe what ever you like, all I can hope is to present you with an adequate case proving my innocence. You're the jury whether I did a good enough job." Anakin was growing heated, getting long winded responses lacking clarity.

"Why did you bring us here?" Depa gets the conversation back on track.

"When I learned the Chosen One was discovered I knew I had to meet him, to test if he is indeed who the Jedi say he is."

"The Chosen One is a myth." Anakin replies.

"You lack of belief in the Jedi is disturbing." Father worries. "Do not give into secularism."

"I respect the Jedi doctrine and adhere to it. But the Chosen One prophecy is the offspring of one lone man, written thousands of years ago. I read it over and over, I cannot say to you I believe it."

"Perhaps your experiences here will make you reconsider."

(Scene break)

They've reached the halfway mark up the momentary. Kyle's muscles shook with each movement, he is wearing down. Seeing this, Ahsoka advises they stop and rest, but Kyle persists. "No use in resting when we have a job to do." He continues, and his leg slips and Ahsoka manages to snag his wrist. "Thanks." He tried climbing again, but he twisted his leg and needed a moments rest. "I think here is a good place for base camp."

"Just for a minute." She reminds Kyle. His boots were killing him, it felt liberating to slide them off.

"This planet is regenerating itself." Kyle notices.

"It's awfully strange. I've never seen anything like this before." Her blue eyes peer up at the floating triangular rocks occupying the sky. "It's-"

"Hypnotic?"

"Yeah."

"Everything is more pronounced here. Even my dreams were interactive."

"What kind of dreams?"

"The usual. Memories, only slightly different." Ahsoka raises her facial marking above her eye.

"That's not normal." He shrugs. "How interactive?"

"They feel surreal, but real at the same time." Ahsoka too had these dreams. A raven flew past their eyesight and circled them, crowing incessantly. "Is it me or is that bird getting larger as it gets closer?" Kyle notices, before his vision went black. Swung to the side, Ahsoka could only put up a small fight until she was rendered unconscious and snatched.

She struggled mightily, her arms held up by the ravens sharp claws, her legs dangling over certain doom. "Try anything and you'll be dropped into the bottomless cavern." That didn't deter Ahsoka from insulting and ordering Son to put her down.

Kyle shook the cobwebs off just in time to see the raven flying skyward to the top of the monastery before disappearing.

(Scene break)

"Come, I want to talk to you. Alone." Father asks of Anakin. Seeing no use in fighting this one, Depa accepts these terms, reminding Anakin to not trust him. There's a sense of worry he has internally walking down the isle of the unknown, with this being he doesn't know qualifies for a human. Father appeared so frail, in danger of falling to pieces at any given moment. "You're very well versed in the force for someone so young."

"What is going on here?"

"You stand on my creation. A refuge for me and my children, where I can control them."

"What if you let them out?"

"My children are the embodiment of light and dark, I serve as the balance. If one, or both of them left, too much of either will throw the universe into chaos." He warns. "I am growing weak, my hourglass is running out."

"You're worried they'll try to kill you?"

"You do not know what it is like to have so much love for your children, and be terrified at the tremendous power they wield." His expression turns somber, filled with internal distress.

"What are you?"

"Some call us 'Force Wielders'." Father answers.

"The Jedi have never spoken of this." Anakin held on to his skepticism, and Father sensed it.

"Few still know of our existence."

"In my room, my mother came to me, but it wasn't her. It was something else."

Father stroked his beard, taking a breath. "I see you've came across my son. A dastardly child. He can take on many forms. I can tell you carry a great burden of sadness with you. My son can sense it and manipulate the Force to a degree nobody can even imagine. On the other hand, my daughter is more kind-hearted."

"Is this place your sanctuary for them?" He asks.

"No. It is a prison. Once I believed this was all for their own safety, a place they can hone their abilities until someday they are ready to enter the temporal world. Only to realize I am but a fool and have since withdrawn."

"I do not understand."

"It is only here I can control them. That surge of strength you feel, is my feeling only more so. I bring my children to heel. Through our bond I can balance light and dark. Day with night. Destruction with creation."

"Why is too much light a bad thing?"

"Many want to exploit our power. The Sith, are of one. Too much light would undo the very fabric of your reality and bring about unspeakable, unintended consequences."

"The road to Hell is paved with good intentions." Anakin remembers the old saying. The Father, not aware of the quotation merely nods along.

"You are wise as you're strong. When the news reached that the chosen one's been found, I had to see for myself. No matter how you feel about the prophecy it is why you're a Jedi today and not on Tatooine."

"How did you-"

"I know all. Now come with me to the courtyard, I have something to show you." Out they strolled into the porch overlooking the courtyard, two large birds held Ahsoka and Depa on either side. Their grips are so tight if either tried resisting it surely separate their shoulders from their sockets.

"What have you done?!" Anakin is in clear distress.

"I have instructed my children to kill your friends. This is your first test. Who will you chose?"

"Let them go." He demands.

"You'll have to free them yourself, Skywalker."

Ahsoka looks up and can see her master, despite the strong sun rays obscuring her view. "Master!" She calls out to him. "Whatever he wants, don't do it!"

"Ahsoka!" He leaps down intending to check up on her, before the Daughter backs Skywalker off by flapping her wings.

"The only way you'll free your friends is if you overcome my children." Father reminds the Jedi. Anakin's head began to split, unable to withstand the pain growing and cancel out the noise. "You can only fight one. Together they are stronger than you."

Depa called out to Anakin, "Skywalker, remain calm. Trust the Force." He takes a deep breath and raises both his arms. Depa had little clue how she wound up in this situation. All she knew was Skywalker's the only one who could get them out of this predicament.

"You will let them go!" He lifts the birds up, their respective grips released. The day turns into night, the entire courtyard appears to be on a swivel rotating madly. The Daughter and Son are brought to Anakin's feet, reverting to your their usual forms. His power made them fall to their knees, he kept them there until Father ordered him to stop.

"Enough!" Father rises Skywalker off the ground, his body stiffening before quickly placing him back down. "You've impressed me."

Skywalker gnashes his teeth before wheeling around, his weapon now ignited. He's had enough of the mind games and his blood was going cold. As if his limbs were committing a mutiny against him, his crystal blue blade stopped right before slicing Father's unbothered face in half.

"There is no need for this aggression." He takes a hold of the blade, crackling against his skin, it retracts back inside. The three Jedi stand, now free, demanding answers for this hostility.

"Only the chosen one could tame my children." He compliments, genuinely in awe. "I am honored to be in your presence, Skywalker."

"I've taken your test. Now let us go."

"Very well. I request, first a chance to explain to you the importance of why I brought you here." He looks at his children and the Jedi. "Leave us."

Ahsoka took the chance to take Anakin aside for a brief moment. "Don't trust him."

"You think?"

Isolated from Skywalker, all Depa and Ahsoka could do was wait until Father was done speaking to him. As usual, Depa remained poised. Knowing the next occurrence was out of her hands. Meanwhile, Ahsoka couldn't help herself and paced up and down a little section of the courtyard like a madwoman.

Daughter felt remorse for her hand in her father's game and decided to make it up to them by searching for Kyle. Leaving the Jedi with the Son.

"Anakin is fine." Depa assures Ahsoka. "There's nothing he can tell him that'll shake his faith in the light." Ahsoka knew her master better than anyone. Him turning just wasn't possible. The Son chuckles to himself.

"You really think that is why Father has brought you here?"

"Care to enlighten us?" Depa offers.

"Oh, no. You've hit the nail on the head. Excuse me." He exits to join his Father, who just finished his talk with Anakin.

"What did he say?" Depa asks.

"He wants me to stay."

"What?" Ahsoka couldn't believe it.

"He needs someone who'll control his children. I'm the only one strong enough to do it."

"You're not going to do it, are you?" Anakin was unsure, he hesitated before he could give a reply. "You're going to do it, aren't you?"

"I... don't know." He confesses. "If I am the chosen one, then this is what I must do right?"

"You told me the prophecy is a myth." She reminds him.

"Maybe it is... or it isn't. I don't know! I need time to think." He walks away.

"Is it time to worry, yet?" She asks Depa.

"Perhaps."

"How many times have I told you to quit corrupting the birds?" Father sighs, tending to one of his son's victims. The poor thing looked demented, eyes twitching and on the verge of attacking. "Such beautiful creatures you defile." He scolds.

"I'm bored." Son shrugs. "It's fun."

"Corrupting innocents is 'fun' to you?"

"I don't know what the big deal is, father. They're just birds."

"You need to control yourself. The time you are wasting could be spent making yourself better."

"I am better. I am stronger. I am getting stronger every day."

"Strength does not equate personal growth, my son."

"How am I supposed to grow when I'm locked here for all of eternity!" He roars. "And you've found a replacement. Will you ever let me off this rock?"

"Son-"

"Yes or no."

"No."

Enraged, he attacks the Father. Electrocuting his body until he could sense his heart was on the edge of giving out. "You're nothing, but a failure, weak old man. I'll kill you myself if I have to." He chokes out between tears. "If I am to leave this planet, I need to find a way to get to Skywalker." He eyes Ahsoka, the two Jedi saw the confrontation and rush to check on the father. A devious smirk forms on his face.


	4. Chapter 4

Oxygen was wearing thin, his lungs begging for air. Kyle's head began to feel lighter and though he tried to focus, his vision blurred. His Jedi training did not prepare him for this kind of strenuous punishment. His bands covered in sweat, the jagged edges of the mountain cutting his palms leading to blood trickling down his wrist. Kyle soon lost his grip and fell to his almost certain demise. One moment he felt he was falling at a brilliant speed, the wind crashing against his ears. A second later, it is as if gravity ceased to exist. His body frozen in mid-air, his eyes darting around to see what has transpired. He was in the arms of Daughter. Her golden shine blinding his eyes. No words were said, for he was at a loss for them.

"Thank you." He said.

"You're a friend of the Jedi?" Daughter asks.

"I am a Jedi." Kyle retorts.

The Daughter's face turns mortified witnessing the state of her father, propped up against the wall. "What happened?" She breathes, cradling his head.

"The Son attacked him." Depa explains. "It's best he doesn't speak. He'll need to conserve his strength."

Despite the explicit orders to not speak, Father disregarded them to warn them of his son's plot. "Daughter, he knows. You must stop him!" He coughs, collapsing into unconsciousness.

"Father..." Daughter cups his cheek, feeling his life force draining from him. "There is an alter, I have to get there before my brother." She tells the Jedi.

"What's there?" Ahsoka inquires.

"The only object that can kill the Son. With my father alive, we are impenetrable from your worlds weapons. Father is ailing, but holding on. We should go."

"Take Ahsoka and my Padawan with you. I'll remain here to protect the Father." Depa said. The Daughter turns to face the wide eyed teens, skeptical as to how much they'll be able to help.

"My brother will try to tempt you. Don't listen to him. Come. We don't have much time."

"Master, I can stay and help you." Kyle offers.

"No. You need to make sure the Daughter retrieves... whatever it is she's after." Depa told them. "Remember, the Force will be with you. Do not abandon it." Her eyes went towards Kyle, more worried about his fragility than Ahsoka's. Tano grew up in the Jedi Order, surrounded by their influence. Kyle was a novice.

(Scene break)

Wherever he walked, he heard his name called. First by his mother. Then by Obi-Wan. Then Ahsoka. Then Padmé. Holding on to his head, silently begging for the voices to stop. His only refuge was his ship.

"Trouble?" Son called to him from the outside, Anakin saw him through the front window.

"Try anything and you're done." He aims the Twilight's ion cannons at the Son.

"For a Jedi, you're quick to violence." He points out. "All I want to talk."

"I am in no mood for more of your family's games."

"I'm not playing any games, Skywalker. That's my father's department. I'm the straight arrow of the family."

"Somehow I doubt that." Anakin replies. "You're Sith."

"You speak of that word, as if I know what it means. I don't know Sith or Jedi. I am the darkness."

"What's the difference?"

"I can show you." He promises. "Your clan, they've pulled the wool over your eyes. Your heart betrays you. I can feel the anguish inside you. Unable to bring an end to enteral suffering. Together we can bring about change."

Anakin remained silent. The Son knew he peaked the Jedi's curiosity. "My Father wants you to take his place as a prisoner in his own device. He wants to take you away from your loved ones so he can perpetuate this myth of light and dark coexisting. When in reality, neither can survive while the other flourishes. In the real world, nothing gets done without getting your hands dirty."

"What are you suggesting?"

"Forget everyone else. Me and you can destroy the Sith and bring the rotting Jedi Order down and like a phoenix rises from the ashes, a new universal order."

"I'll never abandon my friends." Anakin retorts. "Now leave."

"If only I could show you the suffering you're sure to inflict. Perhaps you'll be better off dead than alive. My son, have you ever wondered if you're the disease or the cure?"

"I said leave!" Anakin didn't want to let the Son inside his head. He had enough voices pulling him in all sorts of directions as it is.

(Scene break)

The Daughter lead the two Jedi to a cave, she stopped at its entrance and turned to them. "I can take you no further. When you reach the alter, it will give you what you need." She instructs.

"Why can't you go inside?" Ahsoka was puzzled.

"I promised my father I would never enter the alter. I also promised I wouldn't show it to any off worlders. I've already broken one promise today."

"What will you do?" Kyle asks.

"I will guard my father, awaiting your return." She answers.

"We won't keep you waiting." He promises.

Ahsoka and Kyle descended deeper and deeper into the cave, until everything was covered in darkness. Ahsoka used her shoto blade as a source of light. "You build a new lightsaber?" Kyle never noticed the second weapon attached to her belt before.

"It's a shoto. I'm hoping to become a duelist, this is a good start and is less of a risk of injury. You should build one."

"I'm a lefty. My right hand is borderline useless." He replies. "Master Billapa said it be beneficial for me to become a duelist. We've been working on it for a couple months."

"I'm a natural righty. I've been developing my off-hand game for nearly a year." She tells him. Kyle thought for a moment, glancing at his right hand. Maybe he should step out of his comfort zone and try his luck as a duelist. It's something Billapa's harped on since he took him as a student.

"Lightsaber combat was never my strongest suit." He confesses.

"When you and me spar you've done well."

"That's because I had time to scout you, as I did with all my opponents." He explains.

"Scout?"

"Yeah. Look at tape. Study the various lightsaber forms, their strengths and weaknesses. The film I've watched of you before our match in the Jedi Apprentice Tournament kept me up nights. You have no idea how badly I wanted to win."

She smirks. "When this is over, I'll give you a rematch."

"You've said that for over a year now." He jokingly retorts.

Beyond their heads lurks the Son. His eyes transfixed on the dagger in the distance, but his focus was on the girl. The dagger is only a step in his plan to get off this rock. Even if he kills Father he'll have reduced himself to a husk. Skywalker is a body he can takeover and harness his power. "The chosen one first, then I kill him." He thought to himself. Referring to his father as "him."

They came to the alter, the dagger placed elegantly on its stand staring at them. "You think this'll kill the Son?" Kyle asks. "Can this be wielded by mortals?"

"So many questions, so little time. You are a quizzical one. I will say." The Son drops down, the two ignite their weapons and ready themselves for battle. "I've waited centuries to lay eyes on this dagger." He says softly. "Now, give it."

"No way." Kyle replies. "This isn't going anywhere, but your chest!"

The Son chuckles. "I'm frightened. Tell me, is attachment frowned upon in your clan?"

"What?" Ahsoka was taken aback. "yes."

"And why?"

"The Jedi say it'll lead you to the dark side." She answers.

"Ahsoka, the Sith say attachment will lead to the light." Kyle points out the contradiction. The Son was amused.

"No matter how long I've been gone, the universe stays the same. Hypocrites. All of them. Father was right. But I never understood how he could sit idle and watch everything burn."

"I have a feeling you'd like to take part in some of that burning." Ahsoka quips.

"Don't judge a book for its cover, young one. I come as a form of peace."

"Peace? You kill your father and call that 'peace.'" Ahsoka took qualm with that statement.

"Father was taking too long to die!" Son bellows from the pits of his stomach. "He's pathetic and needed to go. I did everyone here a favor. Give me the dagger, let me finish what I started and you can all leave."

"You think we're stupid?" Ahsoka scoffs.

"Very well." He tosses them aside casually and goes to grab the dagger. An orange flame surrounds his pale hand, he shrieks like a wild animal and drops the dagger. When his yelps ceased, he composed himself. "Father is smarter than I give him credit for."

"Looks like your plans hit a bit of snag, bud." Kyle taunts.

"A snag. Only a snag." He thinks. "If I cannot hold the dagger, then one of you will. After all, my sister brought you here knowing she couldn't hold it. Of course! It all makes sense."

"There's nothing the dark side can offer that'll tempt us." Kyle confidently says.

"You really don't think I can't pray on your insecurities. I've known everything about you since you've entered my planet's atmosphere." He looks at Kyle. "You're in love with someone you know doesn't feel the same." He looks at Ahsoka. "You're worries your master isn't proud. Why should he be? You're a spoiled, know-nothing brat."

Ahsoka gnashes her teeth. She wants to slice the Son open and gut him for saying this. "You're nothing to him. Or to anyone for that matter." Her emotions got the best of her and Ahsoka pounced at the Son, she tries to hack at him and he casually dodged her attacks until he grabbed her wrist. "You need a new approach." He bites her hand and drops her.

Kyle tries to help, but the Son is too much for him. Thinking fast, he leaps at the dagger, brandishing the weapon. "Get back!" He goes to check on Ahsoka.

"She's dead. You couldn't save her. How tragic. The person you cared for the most, gone because of you." The Son played the poor boy like a fiddle. Kyle believed him when he said he killed Ahsoka, and went after him for retribution. Luckily for him, the dagger wasn't something the Son could come in contact with.

"You'll regret ever being born!" He promises the Son. Holding the dagger to his throat.

"I already do!" He retorts half-heartedly. But then, Kyle froze. His body turned ridged, a dark green blade stuck out from his chest. Ahsoka was on the other side, her blue eyes turned a dark yellow. He fell to the ground, turning over like a turtle on his back to see it was her who had betrayed him.

"Ahs—" He couldn't speak, the blood was making its way up out of his mouth. "Why?"

"Do not bother trying to reason with my pet. I have shown her the error of her ways and she will lead me to Skywalker. Now, contact him."

"Master." She sounds so innocent, like typical Ahsoka. "The Son, he's captured me. I don't want to die Master, come save me!" She pleaded. "I'm at the courtyard. Hurry!" Anakin tried to say something, but the com-link was taken by the Son and smashed.

"This is where we leave you." The Son turns around. "Come my child."

"Ahsoka... *cough* don't do this!" He begs her, clutching to his chest to stop the blood flow. "Please!" For a brief moment, Kyle swore he saw her eyes return to their blue color, only to return to yellow. She was about to finish him off when the Son stopped her.

"We don't have time for you to waste on your friend. Come!" He ordered. Kyle watched his best friend walk off, leaving him to certain doom.


	5. Chapter 5

Depa felt a great pain in her chest. A part of her felt missing. The disturbance she felt shook her to her very core. Daughter returned, sensing the internally pain in the Jedi. "How is he?"

Depa could not move Father. Fearing his fragile body would crumble. They laid in the courtyard, her only leaving his side to retrieve water to cure his parched throat.

"He's not very well. Help me bring him inside." They carefully lead Father into the monastery and lay him to rest in her personal chambers. It was closer than his chambers.

"Your mind is elsewhere?" Daughter notices.

"Where are the Padawans?"

"I left them to protect Father, while they went to get the dagger."

Depa didn't like the sound of that. "You should head back." She tells her. "I sense something. Something horrible has transpired. Please, return to wherever you lead them. Bring them back."

"I cannot-"

"I will not let a Padawan die. Either you go or I do." Daughter sighs, sensing the bond between master and student.

"Very well. If you see my brother, do not engage. You're not strong enough to face him alone. You can leave father in my chambers."

"I'll stay and guard him. It's the least I can do." Depa replies.

"Thank you, Jedi. I hope the rest of your clan is as selfless as you are."

She departed to find the Padawans. Returning to the alter, all she heard was the adolescent groans that grew deeper the further she ventured. Again, the Daughter found Kyle in a near death situation. Clutching to his chest, bleeding profusely. His legs wouldn't allow him to. Daughter could tell the boy poor was on his last legs.

"Be still, child." She hushes. Believing she was merely about to make his last moments pain free, he resisted. He wanted to fight. He wanted to save the day. He wanted to see his master one last time. "I can heal you." She promised. Placing her large palm, covering his chest wound she closed her eyes and it coaxed Kyle to relax. A brilliant light illuminated from under her hand and the wound was gone within moments.

"How did you do that?" Kyle asks, in awe of what he's witnessed.

"The light is capable of many things. It is the source for all that is good."

"We have to go." Kyle picks himself up, amazed his body felt as good as new. "The Son took Ahsoka, and she has the dagger."

"They're going to kill Father."

"And my Master." He reminds her, but that isn't her biggest concern.

"If my brother kills my father he'll be free to escape!" She forcefully tells him. "Your Master is the only reason I'm here. You can save your master, I'll save the universe."

(Scene break)

It was a mistake to not run off after the trials. He should have never entertained the Father's offer. Now he's running across the supernatural plain. The sky's darkened, the dark blue trimming on the grassy knolls didn't even phase him. "It's a trap." His brain warns him. Of course he knew that. But he couldn't let Ahsoka die because he had to play chess when an adversary was playing checkers.

Again, the voices rattled inside his head. Calling his name "Anakin... Anakin... Anakin"

"I am one with the Force. The Force is with me." He repeats the mantra to cancel out the noise.

"Ahsoka!" He calls out in the courtyard. It's dark. He cannot see anything. He notices Ahsoka's distinct Togrutan features by the strike of lightning illuminating her orange pale skin. She coldly stood on a ledge, staring straight ahead.

"Ahsoka, we need to get out of here."

"Are you proud, Master?" Ahsoka softly asks.

"Huh?" Anakin was baffled at the question. "Of course I'm proud of you, Snips. But we need to leave." Ahsoka turns around right as the lightning struck again, showing her yellow eyes which physically repulsed Skywalker. "Ahsoka, what happened?"

"He's right." She chants, as if she's speaking to herself or to someone who isn't there. "You have to join him." She turns to her master. "The Son only wants what's best for the universe."

"The Son? I should have known." Anakin curses himself mentally. "You need to snap out of this. This isn't you, Ahsoka!" He tells her.

"Isn't it?" Ahsoka chuckles.

"Or maybe, she feels more like herself than she's ever had." The Son appears and glides elegantly in front of Skywalker. "You've held her back and now she is at her full potential."

"You!" Anakin hisses.

"If you're going to demand I let her go, you wouldn't be the first. Although, I should warn you the last person who attacked me met his end."

"You lie!" Anakin knew who the Son was referring to.

"It didn't have to be this way. He could have been alive, your Padawan wouldn't have turned if you merely listened to me from the start."

"No!"

"He looked up to you. His memories before the Jedi Order, all he talked about was the 'great' Anakin Skywalker. The 'hero with no fear.' Where were you when he needed you most? Hiding in your ship waiting to leave your fate!"

Anakin snaps and swings madly at the Son. Ahsoka takes over and proceeds to return Anakin's aggression. Fighting his Padawan instantly simmered his intensity. He couldn't hurt her. He'd sooner die. "But it isn't too late. You can still save countless lives by doing the right thing." The Son orders Ahsoka to disengage. Skywalker's lightsaber flew out of his hand and into the Son's. "Come here, my Son." He forces the Jedi to his knees. "Let me show you your future." He grabs Anakin by the chin and places his other hand on his forehead. "The woeful universe you'll create right before your eyes."

Anakin screeches, struggling to get free. The Son neutralizes him, rendering his body catatonic. "Let me in, my son."

The sounds became more pronounced, accompanied now with visuals he saw the degradation of the moral fabric of the Jedi, the Galactic Republic and universe. The loses of loved ones. His wife. His master. His Padawan. His children. Children? What was being displayed tore apart everything he thought he once knew. "No... please No!" He couldn't say it any louder. "This can't be."

"But it is." The Son feigns sorrow. "You are groomed to be a pawn in the Sith Lord's game. You will serve him until your dying breath." Anakin crumbles to the ground, silently sobbing. The Son continues to speak softly. "But it doesn't have to be this way. Together, you and me we'll wipe out all evil and pave way for a new, more just universal order."

It was the same pitch. This time Anakin saw what the Son was warning him of wasn't lies. His future was sealed - if he chose to remain on this path. Anakin needed a way out and would accept any avenue for an exit. "What do I need to do?" The Son, pleased he has broken the Jedi orders Ahsoka to hand him the dagger.

"Find my father and kill him."

Anakin found the father resting in Daughter's chambers, encased in a golden transparent shield. Skywalker attempted to broach it to no avail. "The only way we can break this spell is if we kill my sister." The Son is wry at the prospect. Quickly, he pushes his reservations aside. "If you want to make an omelette you have to break a few eggs."

"Shall I look for her?" Anakin offers.

"No. She'll come here to us. Father will recover and break the shield. She'll have to confront me sooner or later. We wait." He decides. "Your Jedi friend, the blind one. Find her. We don't need any loose ends."

(Scene break)

Kyle was tense the closer they approached the monastery. Each step grew smaller and smaller. The Daughter noticed, sensing the dread inside of him. "Something troubling you?"

"I..." He looks at his lightsaber. "I don't know if I can't fight a friend." The Daughter's eyebrow raised. "I'm feeling unsure."

"About?"

"Whether I can handle this. This battle between the forces of light and darkness. Here I am in the middle of it. There's so much pressure. What if I fail?" His concerns nearly overtook him. His legs freezing in place.

"We cannot fail. It isn't an option." She turns to walk away, not caring whether Kyle was by her side of not.

"Thanks, coach. Great pep talk." He thought. "Come on, Kyle. You went to the final round of the tourney with minimal training. You can handle this!" He tried to psyche himself up. But what if Ahsoka was on the opposite side? She nearly killed him just moments ago. He knows he cannot handle the all powerful Son. So the Padawan is likely his opponent.

"Your brother turned my friend. Is there a way we can get her back?" He asks. The Daughter pondered.

"My brother use to play this trick on birds. They never reverted. I do not know." Those words stung Kyle right in the heart.

"There has to be a way!" He protests. "I can't kill her."

"You'll do what you must." She retorts. "For the good of the galaxy."

(scene break)

Anakin returns to the chambers to look at the Father, still in his coma. The last time he was here he saw Depa meditating and left her to herself. "Never disturb a Jedi when meditating." He remembers the first lesson Kenobi imparted to him. The Son's influence was strong in him at this point, but the small vestiges of the old him was still there.

But Depa was not meditating anymore. "I know now what I must do to end The Clone War." He starts. "I now see who stands in our way."

Depa was untroubled. "You're not thinking clearly." She calmly says. "The Son, this planet, has polluted your mind. You cannot follow his lead. He is deceiving you and soon you'll be of no use to him."

"I am stronger than him. I know what I'm doing." He replies. But Depa had a hard time believing that to be true. "I will not hesitate to do what needs to be done."

"Neither will I." He leaves.


	6. Chapter 6

The sound of lightsabers rattling reverberated throughout the monastery halls. Anakin had to admit he didn't think Depa could survive this long without the benefit of sight. She countered his attacks and even managed to score off his weak defensive stance. An issue the offensive minded Skywalker could never figure how to fix.

Anakin charges at Depa, who launches up to avoid his strike. He tries again, only to have her sidestep him and deliver a solid kick to his stomach before letting loose a Force push that sent him out into the courtyard.

"Sounds like you could use some help." Ahsoka stands above him smugly.

Skywalker growls. "You do not know what you're getting yourself into!" He tells Depa.

"I think I'm supposed to say that to you."

The Daughter appears hovering over them, eyeing her brother. "Is this the madness you seek?"

"It is your doing, sister. You shouldn't have gotten involved."

"It was a mistake to not get involved sooner." She pushes the Son back, knocking his head against the wall. He falls to his knees, clutching to his throbbing head.

"Okay then." He retaliates with the same attack. The Daughter getting the wind knocked out of her. "You're weak. The light is nothing more than restraints." He taunts. "My power is true. Is infinite."

"You're power lacks substance. You are seduced by flash." She strongly retorts. "You'll meet your end if you continue down this path. Father is ailing and his death will throw the universe into chaos."

"Sister, I live for chaos. I am chaos." Lightning explodes from his fingertips, the Daughter is able to repulse it. His strength overwhelms her and she jumps to avoid the blast. She is able to dodge the first strike, but the second catches her. The Son is merciless. Electrocuting her until her blood boiled and her icy blue veins showed on her graying skin.

He tried to withdraw the dagger, except the Daughter desperately attacked him and the weapon flung itself across the courtyard.

(Scene break)

Anakin and Ahsoka teamed up to take Depa down. "Listen to me!" She pleads. "The Son is twisting your minds. You can't believe him!"

They ignored her and proceeded to continue their relentless attack. She found herself worn down, they were simply too fast for her to take simultaneously. On shaky legs, Depa was able to counter Ahsoka's strike, and disarm her. When she tried to go hand-to-hand, Billapa pushed her back. Anakin leapt and nicking her shoulder, then her leg and she fell hunched over clutching her wounds. Skywalker raises his blade for the killing blow. A whistle disturbs his concentration. Turning around, his chin is greeted with a strong kick sending him crumbling backwards. Depa looks up to see her Padawan standing above her, extending his hand.

"Trouble always seems to find you, Master." He says innocently. "Can you fight?" He asks. Anakin and Ahsoka surrounded them, Kyle ignited his blade as did Depa.

"I can manage." She tells him. "You take Ahsoka, I'll handle Anakin." Though sore, she felt she could hold her own. Even if she couldn't, Depa was aware her Padawan didn't stand a chance against him. It baffled her Skywalker left himself vulnerable to a sneak attack. Guessing good fortune smiled down upon her.

"Back from the dead?" Ahsoka teases.

"Can't say I ever was dead." He comments. He wanted to plead for her to walk away, what he was sensing inside of her and Anakin was unnatural. More chaotic than Ventress, someone who gave themselves up fully to the dark side still having doubt. Nothing about their sudden turns sat right with Kyle. Yet, the stinging in his chest said otherwise.

Their sabers clash, her green against his blue. Kyle hasn't fought Ahsoka in over a year, but he knew a lot about how she fought. Jar'Kai is extremely one-sided, favoring offense. Ahsoka was athletic enough to keep the pressure on Kyle. Giving him no time to counter. He backpedals until he can't anymore, utilizing the wall as a springboard to turn the tables attack. Problem being, he couldn't bring himself to hurt her. His slash was deliberately slow, allowing her to counter.

"You need to snap out of this Ahsoka." He told her. "I need you to listen to me." His mind searches for the correct words to say. "You're my friend, I can't kill you."

"Then you're weak!" She hisses, and kicks him in the gut. Kyle recovers and ducks an attempt to decapitate his head, rolling to the side he instilled the values of the defensive style of Makashi to parry her blows. Kyle and Depa found themselves backed up against each other in the center of the courtyard.

Ahsoka disarms Kyle, rotating his wrist so his grip would loosen. Her mistake was going to grab it, giving him a chance to side-step and kick her in the gut. Anakin again nicked Depa, this time in the other shoulder, once again eager to strike the killing blow. Thinking fast, the unarmed Padawan tries to kick Anakin again, only this time he ducks and inadvertently it hits Ahsoka knocking her out. "Kyle!" Depa sends him her lightsaber and he catches it, just in time to saber lock with Skywalker. It quickly became clear Skywalker was the stronger one of the two, bringing Kyle down to a knee.

"Enough!" The Father, having awakened from his slumber, brings about unspeakable thunder and fury to capture the attention of all combatants. Their bodies became unglued to the ground, it is as if a powerful earthquake shook the entire planet's foundation. Kyle flew ten feet into the air, before being slammed back down.

Kyle looked at Ahsoka, pieced by the dagger thanks to the Father's tremor. It sliced her hip and remained lodged in her body. He crawled over to her and pried it out, only to find there wasn't any wound. When she woke up Kyle fully expected to see yellow eyes. To his pleasant surprise, her blue orbs returned. "What happened?" She groggily asked.

"You don't remember?" Kyle was confused.

"No... I remember being inside the alter. Did we get the dagger?"

The dagger must've freed her from the Son's grip. Kyle thought. Looking at his opposite side, Depa wasn't in any better shape after the Father's episode. "Don't move." He told her. "I have supplies." He rushes to tend to her various wounds, rummaging through his pack pulling out a medpac. He didn't have any bacta spray, having to make due with kolto. Depa hisses as he applied the spray.

"So happy you decided to join the party, father!" The Son calls to the dagger. "Now I can finish what I started."

"This has gone far enough. I will not tell you again to stand down!" The Father walks towards him. "I will not hesitate to do what i must to preserve the universe." He threatens.

"Dealing in absolute, are we Father? Well two can play at this game." He grabs his sister and holds the dagger against her throat. "Come any closer and your favorite child gets it."

"You don't want to do that." Father advised.

"All I want is to leave." Son trembled. "You keep us here as prisoners. Am I supposed to live in captivity for eternity?"

The Father was unsure what was the best response. Deep down, he knew the answer was yes. "For a time I believed you and Daughter could be forces of good for the universe. I don't believe that anymore."

Enraged, the Son tosses his sister aside and charges at his father stabbing him through the heart. Through tear streaked cheeks and a clenched throat, the Son stares into the eyes of his betrayed elder. The things he wanted to say, but couldn't bring himself to. Merely withdrawing the dagger, never breaking and eye contact was enough.

"Father!" Daughter rushes to his side. Unlike last time, there was no words. No warmth in his body. The Father was cold and still. The pure light inside of Daughter dimmed.

His lip began to tremble, before composing himself. Turning back to Skywalker, he speaks with a raspy firmness. "Take me to the ship." He froze in place, a spark came from his forehead before falling face first. Skywalker followed, only his body fell like a child dropping their doll.

"Anakin!" Ahsoka cradles her master's head, trying to no avail to wake him up. "What did you do!"

"Please." She sobs, burying her head into Father's shoulder. "Just leave!"

"No! My master isn't moving. I need to know why." She responds firmly.

"My brother seduced your master to the dark side. When I ended him, it appears I did the same to your master. I apologize, little one."

"You're sorry?" Ahsoka had to be restrained from going any further challenging the Daughter. "Can you bring him back?"

"I don't know. My father rid the dark side from the birds. But I never did it. Let alone try it on a human."

"Please." She couldn't contemplate a reality without her master in it. "He can't die! There must be something i can do?" The Daughter approaches Anakin, placing her head on his chest.

"I hear a heartbeat." She said. "It is faint though."

"So there's hope?" Ahsoka asked.

"Some. Someone needs to go inside his mind and see what it is the Son triggered to switch your master's allegiances so quick." She informs Ahsoka.

"What?"

"Nobody turns away from the light without reason. Some merely seek powers. Others have a higher purpose."

"What can I do?"

"I can put you inside his head and you can rectify what my brother did to your master."

"Ahsoka, are you sure you can do this?"

Without hesitation, Ahsoka nods her head. "Yes."

(scene break)

They had so many questions to ask her. Skywalker still hasn't moved since the Son met his abrupt end. The Jedi helped Daughter bury her father. Depa asked if Father wished to be cremated. "Is that how your clan mourned the dead?" She asked. Depa responds, yes. "We are not your clan. We are... were our own. A simple burial will suffice." Daughter asked for them to help her bury two graves. "He was vile and conniving, but he was still my brother." Daughter looks at the Son one last time.

"If you ask me, he doesn't deserve a funeral." Kyle groans. His master tells him to hush. "He tried to kill us all. A mad man."

"That may be, but she lost everything. If she wants to pay her final respects this way, who are we to complain?"

"What about the Father?" Kyle questioned.

"What about him?"

"Wasn't he a harbinger of the light? He should get a Jedi funeral."

"He wasn't a Jedi, Kyle. He was... a Force wielder." She responds.

"He wasn't Sith, the difference?"

"They don't identify as Jedi. That's the difference. They have their own customs, we have to respect it."

The two continued to shovel. Depa's back aches, and Kyle was growing tired. "There's a river near here. How about I bring us back some water?" Depa offers. Kyle wasn't about to point out she couldn't see. She's fine enough to convince him it doesn't matter.

"I'm parched. So yes." He tells her.

Ahsoka returned from her talk with Daughter. Needing a minute to digest the information given to her. "What's wrong?" He asks. Ahsoka has her arms hugging her chest, resembling her occasional shy demeanor when she first became Skywalker's Padawan.

"The Daughter told me only I could bring my master back from the dark side." She starts.

"That's fine. You and him have a great bond." Kyle knew if a master didn't have a bond with their student the partnership likely wouldn't bear any fruit.

"But there's more. If I fail... if I alter a memory that isn't meant to be touch he could fall into a vegetative state." Ahsoka lays out the pitfalls waiting for her, should she accept this task.

"Well... what are you going to do?" Kyle ponders for an alternative. "Could I help?"

Ahsoka shakes her head. "The Daughter said the person needs to be someone Anakin trusts. Someone he knows. If it's you, he'll get frightened and won't accept help."

"I see." Kyle crosses his arms. "Ahsoka, I think your master is a good man. Poisoned by the dark side. If he won't listen to logic and reason, then this newfangled treatment is your only chance to set things right. It's worth a shot. We can't bring dark side Anakin back to Coruscant. He'll surely be thrown in prison."

"A republic jail cannot hold a Sith." Ahsoka tells him.

"What do the Jedi do with captured Sith?"

The Togruta shrugs. "It's been so long since the Jedi actually captured a Sith. From what I read, they would shut them off the Force before imprisoning them."

"Seems harsh. Robbing someone of their whole identity." Kyle mused.

"It is like disarming an unworthy soldier of their weapon." She explains.

"Sounds like it is exactly like that." Kyle points out.

"Quiet." She hushes hum. "But even so, I can't let that be my master's fate."

"No fate, but what we make." He calmly says.

"Where'd you hear that?"

"Back of a postcard." He answers.

"Thanks for the talk." Ahsoka begins to walk away. "I'm going to go through with it. Wish me luck."

"I'm right here ready to help." He reminds her. "And Ahsoka,"

She turns around. "Yeah?"

He smiles warmly. "May the Force be with you."


	7. Chapter 7

Be still, young one." Daughter tells Ahsoka. "You must put your mind at complete ease and let the Force absorb you." Ahsoka lays on a stone table, eyes closed, her breath steady. "Do no think about your attachments." Daughter adds. "Attachments weigh you down."

Ahsoka wanted to ask why the light side is so cautious when it comes to attachments, when it is her bond with Skywalker being the only reason he can be saved right now.

"The images you'll see cannot hurt you physically. If you do not conquer them, they'll hurt you mentally. Be vigilant!"

Ahsoka nods. Growing impatient, wishing to begin this journey. "How long can you keep me inside his mind?"

"Depends how turbulent your journey is. If it's calm, I can keep you there for an eternity. If it isn't, I can only do so much before I have to bring you back."

"What if you can't bring me back?"

"You'll join your master in a vegetative state."

"So don't screw up. Got it." She said dryly, before taking one last hard breath. "Ready."

It took some time. Ahsoka never could meditate. All she heard was Daughter humming and the sense she was floating her large hand over her head. The Padawan began to fill drossy. Either she was on the verge of falling asleep or achieving her goal in meditation. Before she could dissect any further, Ahsoka was blinded by the bright Tatooine sun and the winds kicking up sand into her eyes.

"Oh, my..." She thought you herself. "It worked! I'm actually inside my master's mind." She looks around. "He must be thinking about his home."

There's a little town on Tatooine, where shoppers are taken advantage of greedy merchants. "We'll try one of the smaller dealers." A bearded man said. She didn't recognize him. Ahsoka did remember the two people accompanying him. She came across old photos of Obi-Wan during his apprenticeship, so this must be his master Qui-Gon Jinn. And the young lady next to him was Padmé Amidala. You couldn't tell by her appearance, but this is during his time as Naboo's Queen. She couldn't have been older than sixteen.

The Jedi and the Queen left a young Obi-Wan to guard the ship, and met a little boy with messy blond hair. His mother diligently cleaning the long line of protocol droids, despite being very weary and in need of a respite. "Annie, be a dear and fetch your mother some water."

"Okay, mom." The Jedi and the woman conversed a little before Watto came back announcing the T-14 hyperdrive will cost well out of the Jedi's price range. Anakin returned just in time to hear Qui-Gon shoot down an idea of sponsoring Skywalker in a pod race and using the winnings for the part.

Wait. That's not what happened. Anakin was very tightlipped about his past, but shared the story about how nobody believed in his ability to win the race - besides Qui-Gon. Here, Qui-Gon is openly dismissive of Skywalker and tells the boy to get lost.

"What did the Son do?" Ahsoka asked, already knowing the answer.

Anakin is left to kick up dust and tinker with a broken down protocol droid. "Hey." Ahsoka walks up to the boy. "Rough day?"

"Who are you?" Anakin was weary of talking to strangers. His eyes looking around for his mother.

"A friend." She grabs the poster from the desk and hands it back to Anakin. "Don't give up." Anakin is confused by what she means. "This isn't what happened. The man you met doesn't cast you aside. He takes you under his wing and you become a great warrior. And an even better friend."

"You think so?" Anakin never felt so much hope before. "But-"

"You aren't worthless. You shouldn't 'get lost', you should do anything but. Anakin, this is not what happened. Your minds been twisted. I need you to come back."

The boy looks at Ahsoka's hip. "You're a Jedi?" She nods. "I have the Force too. Do I become one?" She nods again. "Thank you, Snips." He says, but his voice sounding more like the older Anakin she's come to know.

Ahsoka is brought back to her realm, Anakin right beside her. "Ugh." He groans, rubbing his forehead. "Ahsoka? What happened? Where's the Father?" The Daughter grew sad and turned away.

"It's a long story, Master. I'll tell you on our way home." She looks at the Daughter. "Thank you for your help. What will you do now?"

Daughter takes a deep breath to compose herself before turning around, wiping away a tear. "I will mourn what I have lost and what will never be. It was a mistake for my father to bring you here."

"We're sorry too." Ahsoka responds genuinely.

"Now it is time for you to leave." Their vision goes pure white and they are back aboard the Twilight. Ahsoka resting on the control panel, Kyle under the panel, Anakin and Depa in their pilots chairs.

"What happened?" Depa asks, which must've been the umpteenth time someone said that since they arrived on Mortis.

"I think she sent us home." Ahsoka figures.

"Does that mean you-" Kyle was interrupted by Ahsoka.

"Fixed Anakin, yes."

"Hey!" Anakin took umbrage to her use of the word "fix"

"Relax, Skyguy. I didn't mean it like that." Anakin rolls his eyes. He's always hated when she called him that.

"Master, where are your bandages?" Kyle asks. Depa only now noticed her sight had returned.

"How?" She was flummoxed.

"There's a lot of questions. Let's just head home and figure out how we'll explain all of this to the council." Anakin decides.

"Oh, those reports are going to read like a elementary school kids' story." Kyle quips.


End file.
